All firearm owners should consider themselves obliged to be thoroughly conversant with safety issues and the law surrounding when and how their firearms can be used. They also need to be competent and comfortable with their firearms so that, whether for recreation or defensive purposes, they can appropriately handle the equipment and make the proper decisions as to when and what to do.

Most of all, firearm owners need to understand how to avoid conflict, and how to de-escalate situations, so as to lead a safer life with less risk of ever needing to resort to the use of their firearms.

To support and encourage this degree of knowledge and proficiency, we are coordinating a Travel Insider Group to go and train at the largest firearms training school in the country – probably in the world – the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, located just out of Pahrump, and about 45 minutes from Las Vegas. Best of all, we’ve a wonderful value package that gets you access to this world-class training entirely for free, in conjunction with a unique Travel Insider only bonus feature.

You can attend either a truncated two-day course or a full four-day course, and there’s an additional 3 hour classroom session prior to the Front Sight course presented by me (I explain what this is below).

Whether you’re a firearms novice or a firearms expert; whether you own an extensive collection of firearms or have none at all; whether you support or oppose the current laws about firearms ownership and use; and whether you’re a US citizen or not; there’s plenty in this program for you, plenty to learn, and plenty to benefit from.

For example the classroom sessions on situational awareness and how to respond to perceived potential dangers will benefit everyone, and will help people carrying a handgun avoid the need to use it.

What

A two-day or four-day defensive handgun class at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute. Both start early in the morning of Friday 9 November 2018, and end about 5pm on either Saturday 10 November or Monday 12 November (it is possible to leave earlier on the Monday afternoon if you need to do so).

The Front Sight class is preceded by an optional (approx) three-hour classroom session presented by myself on Thursday afternoon, 8 November. This includes content on what to expect and how to get the most out of the Front Sight experience, how to choose a pistol for concealed carry purposes, and a formal class on concealed carry issues and test that, if passed, will meet the training requirements of most states that have a training requirement prior to issuing a concealed carry permit.

I have multiple national firearms instructor qualifications that enables me to conduct such classes and issue certificates of satisfactory completion. I’m also a Distinguished Graduate of Front Sight, and while that might not sound like much to you today, it is a level of achievement only reached by perhaps 2% – 4% of Front Sight students.

I’ll be sharing not only the formal knowledge for you to get a CCP/CWP, but also my experiences during many visits to Front Sight so as to help you do as well as possible, too.

Why

If you need the answer to ‘why should I take a four-day handgun course’, that is understandable. Prior to going on my first course, I couldn’t imagine how it would take four days to learn how to shoot a handgun, and neither could I think why I’d want to spend so much time learning such an arcane skill.

But having now taken the course three times, I was astonished – and remain astonished after each successive course – at how much I have learned (and how much I still have to learn), not just about how to shoot a gun, but also when to shoot one, how to avoid getting into such situations, how to shoot quickly and accurately, how to respond to problems/jams, and lots more.

Plus, it is great fun as well as invaluable learning. The extra fellowship and friendship by doing this as part of a small group rather than as a single person (or couple) makes the experience much more pleasant, and the ability to compare notes with your fellow participants adds to the overall learning experience.

When

We suggest you plan to arrive in Pahrump by early afternoon on Thursday 8 November so as to be able to attend the classroom session.

We also suggest that you do not plan to fly out of Las Vegas the same day your course finishes. We typically stay on the Monday night at the Silverton Casino on the west side of Las Vegas, and close to the airport; and enjoy a relaxing ‘decompression’ after the intensity of the four days preceding, and then fly out on Tuesday morning, 13 November (or stay on in Vegas for additional R&R).

Front Sight has the country’s/world’s largest firearms training facility, just west of Las Vegas

Where

Front Sight is located 25 minutes east of Pahrump, off Hwy 160. It is also 45 minutes west of the nearest part of Las Vegas, making it possible to consider staying in Vegas as well as/instead of in Pahrump.

We generally recommend you stay in Pahrump though; the extra time and hassle of the additional commute to/from Las Vegas each day is generally too much, because each day of training is fairly intense and definitely tiring.

Our Thursday afternoon class will be held at the Best Western Hotel in Pahrump, and we generally suggest you stay there during your time in Pahrump, too. After we’ve confirmed you into the group, you should call them directly (775 727-5100) and ask for their Front Sight discounted rate of $89/night. The rate includes cooked breakfasts and Wi-Fi.

Depending on your flight schedule and plans, I will rent a car or van and be able to take some people from Las Vegas to Pahrump on Thursday at about midday, to and from Front Sight and the Best Western each day, and back to Las Vegas (Silverton Hotel/Casino) on Monday afternoon.

Who

We’ve had people of all ages come and experience this course. Front Sight generally have a minimum age requirement of ‘mature young teen’ and no maximum age requirement, and there are no special physical requirements or undue challenges.

You do need to be able to work the slide of your pistol and to of course hold, sight, and fire it, but apart from that, anyone and everyone can come.

People come from all backgrounds and walks of life, and there are plenty of women as well as men. People have varying levels of skill – some are former or even active military and police; others have never held a firearm before in their lives.

We’ve had ardent Second Amendment supporters, and we’ve also had those who feel uncomfortable and ill-at-ease with the Second Amendment come along too, so as to understand the issues more completely.

Whoever and whatever you are, you’ll enjoy, learn and benefit from this experience.

High quality instructors are available to walk you through every part of the course.

How Long

There are both two and four day classes offered. You might think, as indeed I originally did, that it would be impossible or a low yielding use of time to spend four full days learning how to fire a handgun.

You might think this because you think you are already knowledgeable and proficient, or you might think this because you ‘don’t know what you don’t know’, but in all cases, you are certain to be amazed at how much invaluable content is crammed into the four days. There’s not a minute of unnecessary repetition or ‘filler’ material, it is all highest quality teaching and training.

So, we urge you to do the four-day class. Both courses involve pretty much a full day of safety and introductory material, meaning that the two-day class barely gets started before it stops; while the four-day class goes from introduction through basic and to some mildly advanced techniques and skills, leaving you with very much greater proficiency.

How Much

In addition to airfare and accommodation, there is the cost for the Front Sight course, and their $50 charge for a security vetting before they’ll accept you for a year of training. They also offer a gun rental package if you aren’t planning on bringing your own pistol, belt, holster, eye protection, magazines and reloader ($100/200 for the two/four day class), and you’ll need about 600 rounds of ammunition – also available at Front Sight, and costing about $150 for 9mm; or slightly less at the Wal-Mart in Pahrump).

You also need electronic hearing protection. You can rent this from Frontsight or bring your own – I’ll suggest an excellent set of electronic hearing protectors that costs little more to buy from Amazon than renting from Frontsight, and which are very much better.

Due to an unusual combination of circumstances, I can include, for free, the cost of the two or four day course if you choose to participate in the Thursday afternoon classroom session. My Thursday afternoon session fee is $250; if you’ve been to Front Sight with me before or are already a Front Sight lifetime member, a lower rate would apply.

So this leaves you with the $50 vetting fee, equipment rental if needed (I can help with this) and ammunition if you’re not bringing your own.

If you already have a Frontsight membership or course certificate, the $250 fee is fairly adjusted to reflect this. Let me know what you might already have if this applies to you.

What You Need to Bring

Essentially, nothing.

Everything you need can be rented/purchased from Front Sight and/or provided by me.

Alternatively, we definitely recommend bringing your own gear if you have it, and if you don’t already have it, you might want to consider getting it so as to have for the future. I can help you choose the best gear, and see also the helpful information we provide on the many pages of information we already have published (link immediately below).

The Benefit of Being in the Travel Insider Group

Going to Frontsight by yourself can be a lonely experience, and a bit daunting if doing so for the first time.

Being part of a Travel Insider group means you have an instant group of good friends to share the event with, both at Frontsight and during leisure time too if you wish.

It also means you have my assistance at every step of the way. I’ve been going with groups of Travel Insiders to Frontsight since 2010; and not only am I familiar with Frontsight, I’m also a nationally certified firearms instructor with decades of relevant experience.

I can help walk you through every part of the planning and preparation for the Frontsight experience. What is the best pistol to train with? Which ones should you never use for a Frontsight course? What can you do to prepare? Whatever your question, I can give you helpful answers. I am on hand during the time at Frontsight to give you extra close support and assistance while training, and can give you additional one-on-one lessons outside of the Frontsight hours too.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, the Thursday afternoon classroom session gives you invaluable information that potentially could help you avoid confrontations, or, if unavoidable, save your life.